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Experts say the partial jawbone (seen in the tweet below) comes from the earliest period of human evolution, with its discovery pushing back the origin of the genus Homo, to which humans belong, by 400,000 years. "It is the first fossil we have on the branch that leads towards us," said researcher Brian Villmoare, a lead author of the study published in the journal Science, #link:http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2015/03/03/science.aaa1343.abstract?sid=f6718139-3c32-401f-9b29-88739dda9b40:which describes the find#. The fossil, an adult jaw fragment which includes five teeth, was discovered two years ago by Chalachew Seyoum, an Ethiopian graduate student from Arizona State University. Seyoum said he was looking for fossils and spotted a tooth poking out of the ground. The fossil has been described as a very early representative of the species that led to modern humans, but not a direct ancestor of our particular species, homo sapiens. It it thought to come from very close to … [Read more...] about 2.8 million-year Ethiopian fossil redraws human evolution

Netherlands 2-0 Sweden The Netherlands kept their dream of a first European Championship alive after a solid first-half and one great counterattack in the second proved enough to see off Sweden. Shanice van de Sanden looked dangerous down the right in the opening 10 minutes as Sweden struggled to cope with the combination of the Dutch attack and plenty of home supporters in Doetinchem. Sherida Spitse fired a free kick over, before Sweden wanted a penalty after the ball sprang up against a Dutch hand - German referee Bibiana Steinhaus waved played on. The hosts' pressure grew and Lieke Martens nearly curled in from the edge of the box - her shot going narrowly wide. The newly-signed Barcelona attacker didn't have to wait long though as she soon tucked in a free kick from the edge of the box, delighting the home crowd. Having deservedly taken the lead, the Netherlands were perhaps fortunate to go in level as Sweden suddenly came to life. Stina Blackstenius worked hard to get the … [Read more...] about Women’s Euro 2017: Netherlands 2-0 Sweden

It's "a growing and disturbing global public health crisis," write the authors of a new study, which suggests more than 2 billion people are overweight or obese. They estimate that in 2015 more than 700 million people were obese with a body-mass index (BMI) of more than 30. Another 1.5 billion people were assessed as being overweight with a BMI between 25 and 30. BMI is an attempt to quantify muscle, fat and bone in an individual and, ideally, should be less than 25 in a healthy person. An international research consortium led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in the US analyzed data from 68.5 million people. And according to their evaluation it's not only adults who need to lose weight. Worldwide, about 7 percent of children, aged 2 to 4 years, are obese. Using projections, the researchers assessed the worldwide status of obesity and being overweight. Their report was published on Monday (12.06.2017) in "The New England Journal of … [Read more...] about More than 2 billion people are overweight or obese, global study reveals

Venezuela announced plans to begin issuing 100,000-bolivar notes on Wednesday as the government struggles to control skyrocketing inflation. One year ago, the largest bill was only 100 bolivars – an amount that is now practically worthless. President Nicolas Maduro unveiled the note at a cabinet meeting. It will be worth about €2 euros or $2.3 on black market exchanges. Caracas said the new bill is only a stop-gap measure amidst a more comprehensive financial overhaul, one facet of which is to eventually rid the country of paper money entirely. "The use of the physical currency is being replaced," the president said. Maduro also announced a 30 percent increase in the country's minimum wage and a rise in pension payouts for retired workers, though economists have warned this will only exacerbate inflation. He also took the opportunity to threaten any opposition politicians who boycott nationwide mayoral elections in December. Read more: Venezuela opposition MUD … [Read more...] about Venezuela introduces 100,000 bolivar bill worth $2

Seventy new micro-cracks have been discovered in the high-pressure boiler at the aging Tihange 2 nuclear reactor in Belgium, since the last inspection in 2014. Experts using ultrasonic technology found the new cracks after positioning the camera in a different direction, according to a response from Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon to a parliamentary question from the Green party. The security of the Tihange nuclear power plant is not in doubt and it will continue to operate, Jambon said. Read: Belgium says its nuclear plants are safe but here are some iodine tablets - just in case Lying only 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the German border, the Tihange nuclear power station has long been a target of criticism by German politicians and anti-nuclear campaigners concerned over its safety. Last year, the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia purchased iodine tablets in case of a nuclear disaster. Three aging reactors The more-than-40-year-old nuclear power … [Read more...] about New cracks found in Tihange 2 Belgian nuclear power plant

British oil giant BP inked a $2.2 billion deal Saturday, restoring its share of an onshore oil block in the port city of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The deal calls for BP to give the Emirates company stock worth 2 percent of the oil giant's overall value. The unusual arrangement saves BP from doling out cash and gives the UAE capital a stake in the firm that first arrived there in 1939 when the country was still a British protectorate. The agreement will also make the UAE one of BP's largest shareholders, as oil prices have rebounded from a 13-year-low in February. "This agreement will provide BP with long-term access to significant and competitive resources that we already understand very well," BP CEO Bob Dudley said in a statement. After years of negotiations, Saturday's deal took market watchers by surprise. BP had a 9.5-percent interest in the onshore concession that expired near the end of 2014. The company's overall crude production dropped 2.4 percent that year … [Read more...] about BP strikes $2.2 billion deal for onshore oil fields in UAE

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told ARD public television on Sunday evening that she did not believe Berlin should dramatically increase its defense budget. After NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for increased defense spending, saying "Russia's actions in Ukraine are a wake-up call," the Western alliance's non-binding defense spending target has come into focus. Germany spends 1.3 percent of its gross domestic product on the Bundeswehr, while NATO's target stands at 2 percent of total economic output. "We are a large, economically strong country," von der Leyen told ARD. "Meaning one should always ask: 'how many percent of what?'" The defense minister said that Germany remained NATO's "second-largest net spender," adding that several other countries had seen their GDP decline in recent years. "It's then clear that it is easier to reach the target, if the defense budget doesn't shrink at the same rate," she added. However, von der Leyen also alluded … [Read more...] about Von der Leyen dubious about NATO’s 2-percent rule

The United Nations on Monday launched an appeal for a record $22.2 billion (20.9 billion euros) to enable the world body to provide aid next year to rising numbers of people around the world left in need by conflicts and disasters. Aid work "is more necessary and courageous than ever," humanitarian aid chief Stephen O'Brien said in Monday's report, adding that ever-longer crises were pushing up the number of those requiring aid. O'Brien told a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, that the record appeal reflected "a state of humanitarian need in the world not witnessed since the Second World War," noting also that man-made conflicts were behind 80 percent of humanitarian catastrophes. However, he pointed out that climate change was likely to make natural disasters "more frequent, more severe" as well. Just three conflict-ridden countries - Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan - account for around a third of those in need. The global appeal aims to raise enough funds to cover the needs of the … [Read more...] about UN appeals for record $22.2 billion in global humanitarian aid

US President Donald Trump has called loudly and long for NATO members to increase their defense spending to 2 percent of their GDP by 2024. If Social Democratic chairman and candidate for chancellor Martin Schulz wins power in Germany's national election in September, Trump won't get anywhere near that much. "I'm not of the opinion that NATO has agreed to achieve this 2 percent goal in defense spending," Schulz told members of the foreign press in Berlin. "Twenty billion euros ($21 billion) or more in additional defense expenditures would certainly not be a goal my government would pursue." At their 2014 summit in Wales, NATO members set 2 percent as a "guideline." Trump's White House treats this as a commitment, but the SPD led by Schulz say it's no such thing. "If I interpret it correctly, all that was agreed was that we'd try to approach it," Schulz said. "It doesn't seem to me to be the highest priority to spend 20 billion euros more just to have a … [Read more...] about Germany won’t spend 2 percent on defense, says SPD candidate

A group of five European firms confirmed Monday they would secure financing for 50 percent of the total cost of the Russian natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2. Those pledging funding for the project include Germany's Uniper and BASF subsidiary Wintershall as well as Engie, OMV and Shell, with Gazprom remaining the sole shareholder of the project company. Nord Stream 2's total cost has been estimated at 9.5 billion euros ($10.3 billion). Construction is scheduled to begin next year and be completed by the end of 2019. You can't please everyone The co-financing pledge removes a major hurdle for the project. "The financial commitment of the European enterprises in question underlines the strategic importance of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline for the Continent's gas market," said a joint statement. The 1,200-km (746-mile) pipeline is slated to carry Russian gas to EU member Germany via the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream 2 has drawn criticism from a number of EU nations including Poland, and has … [Read more...] about Nord Stream 2 financing takes shape